Chapter 278: The Second Base

Chapter 278 – The Second Stronghold

Six hours later, Base 011.

Before the fallen bodies of the Guard Brigade’s warriors, Jin Zhong stood mute, saying nothing.

He still clutched the incense burner meant for prayer, yet its flame never ignited.

Only when the adjutant’s reminder pierced his reverie did he seem to return to the present, finally lifting his head.

Then he set the burner aside and addressed the adjutant:

“Give them a proper burial.”

“Contact Jinling City and inform the families of the fallen brothers.”

“Tell them the road is long and transporting the corpses is difficult; I have decided to inter the brothers here, in Jinling New City.”

“Also, summon every relative and have them hurry to Jinling New City for the funeral.”

“I mean, all of them.”

“Every single one?”

The adjutant looked at Jin Zhong with a hint of surprise, clearly having guessed the deeper meaning behind his decree.

Frankly, after such a monumental act, he too believed the unit could never return to Jinling City.

Yet to sever ties with the Mechanical Cult outright seemed a little too rash.

Could there truly be no chance of a compromise?

Or perhaps even the most basic negotiation or dialogue was now unnecessary?

After a moment’s hesitation, the adjutant asked again:

“Perhaps you could return to Jinling City yourself and convey the news to the families?”

“We must give the bereaved a proper explanation—through a more formal channel.”

“No.”

Jin Zhong shook his head slowly.

“I will not go back, and I cannot go back.”

“Why?”

The adjutant asked, puzzled:

“Hasn’t the Holy Hall in Jinling City already declared they will not pursue this incident?”

“Even though we launched an attack on the Custodial Army without orders, they were the ones who erred first; at best, this was an irregular trial.”

“There’s no need to say more.”

Jin Zhong cut the adjutant off, then continued:

“From the moment we chose this path, there is no turning back.”

“We still revere the Holy Trinity, but the Mechanical Cult is no longer ours.”

“Now, the only thing I can do is bring every brother’s kin to Jinling New City.”

“Here, the Huaxia forces will protect them, and we will protect them as well.”

“We lose nothing by this.”

“On the contrary, we stand to gain far more.”

“Very well, carry it out.”

“Understood.”

Jin Zhong’s tone was resolute, and the adjutant offered no further counsel.

He turned to the Guard Brigade’s warriors, delivering Jin Zhong’s orders—his voice tinged with hesitation, probing, even pleading.

Yet, to his surprise, the expected resistance never materialized.

The men calmly accepted the decree, lining up to tell the adjutant the words they wished to convey to their families.

“My wife is cautious; she may not come, but if I tell her ‘I have carved a wooden figure for her,’ she will believe it—that’s our secret code.”

“My family has nothing to add; be sure to tell them to bring enough food.”

“Right—aside from gold, bring nothing of value. What’s valuable in Jinling City holds no worth here.”

“I have no family, but I left something important in Jinling City. Never mind, it isn’t that important; I have nothing more to explain.”

The adjutant listened intently, jotting each request briefly in his notebook.

Meanwhile, Jin Zhong had already walked away, heading toward where Chen Jian stood.

“Commander‑Lord.”

Jin Zhong had barely spoken when Chen Jian raised his hand to interrupt.

“If you have decided to stay here, you must first learn to drop the ‘Lord’ after ‘Commander.’”

“—Yes, Commander.”

Jin Zhong drew a deep breath, then said:

“We are grateful for your generous aid; without the Huaxia forces, that monster would have continued its march on other human towns.”

“The damage it wrought would have been incalculable—Huaxia saved countless lives, that is indisputable.”

“We also thank you for the assistance you provided to our tribunal.”

“The sinner has been punished; thus the believers who perished in Liangxi City may finally rest.”

As his words faded, Chen Jian’s gaze, tinged with scrutiny, fell upon Jin Zhong, and he asked:

“So you still cling to the faith of the Mechanical Cult?”

“No.”

Jin Zhong shook his head and replied:

“It is not the Mechanical Cult I believe in, but the Holy Trinity.”

“These trials and tribulations are not enough to extinguish my faith, but perhaps I have already…”

“These trials and tribulations are not enough to extinguish my faith, but perhaps I have already come to understand that belief in a deity does not require a mortal spokesperson.”

“Very well, you have entered the next stage of faith.”

Chen Jian nodded in satisfaction.

Truth be told, it is a pity we could not utterly crush Jin Zhong’s belief.

Yet at least he has evolved to a higher, more rational plane.

In any case, for him now, faith no longer serves as the compass for his actions.

Faith has become something more void.

Perhaps akin to a certain spiritual pillar?

Chen Jian did not intend to rush matters; he was willing to grant Jin Zhong and his unit some time.

“ So, what do you intend to do next?”

“ Stay in Jinling New City, to aid you in battling the monsters.”

Jin Zhong said without hesitation:

“ If any battle requires us, we will join without a second thought.”

“ We fear neither danger nor sacrifice.”

“ We are willing to pay the price for our faith, for humanity’s survival.”

“ A noble thought, but unnecessary.”

Chen Jian waved his hand, then said:

“ The tide of beasts has surged far beyond our expectations; asking you to continue guerrilla tactics as before no longer fits.”

“ From now on, remain in the base and train.”

“ The Holy Hall Guard’s warriors are more versed in machinery and artillery, and your mindset also passes—though in a different guise.”

“ You know the defensive line surrounding the base, right? I need your men to cooperate with the Huaxia army to operate those dozens of cannons.”

“ Understood.”

Jin Zhong nodded emphatically.

“ That is precisely our forte; we will see it done.”

“ But what of the other monsters nearby?”

“ Many cities face the beast tide; we cannot stand by as they perish.”

“ Fear not, we will find a way.”

Chen Jian exhaled softly, then said:

“ The second aircraft has been completed; it surpasses our prototype in power.”

“ It will shoulder the support—perhaps the bombardment—of every surrounding town.”

“ We cannot guarantee every soul survives the tide, but I trust that the living will outnumber the dead.”

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Within Jinling City.

He Shuo sat opposite Zhang Tao, whose face bore guilt and sorrow, and he began:

“ The tragedy at Liangxi City this time is something none of us wished to witness.”

“ In fact, upon receiving the news, I immediately dispatched the Sacred Army Corps to aid Liangxi.”

“ Yet we cannot deny that our response was too slow.”

“ So slow that the disaster unfolded before we could arrive.”

“ I must bear responsibility for this, and I am willing to make amends.”

“ Discussing compensation with me is futile.” He Shuo cut Zhang Tao off, then said:

“ If you speak of compensation, you should address the tormented souls who fell to the monsters.”

“ They had a chance to escape—though the beast was fearsome, its hunting and pursuit abilities were far from supreme.”

“ It was the Chaplain’s army’s cowardice that doomed them.”

“ This cannot even be called a natural disaster; it is a man‑made calamity that should never have occurred.”

“ I understand.”

Zhang Tao nodded slowly, then said:

“ This is my fault.”

“ I have reflected; had I not hastily reorganized the Holy Hall Guard and reformed the Mechanical Church’s interior, this might not have happened.”

“ Our over‑pursuit of centralization created an inevitable vacuum.”

“ It is a lesson; I overestimated the believers’ devotion.”

With those words spoken, He Shuo was momentarily at a loss for reply.

In truth, what Zhang Tao uttered should have been his own lines.

According to the original plan, even if Zhang Tao had not defended himself vigorously, he would have skirted the core issue, speaking evasively.

Yet unexpectedly, he struck himself with a blade from the outset.

A precise, ruthless blow.

That left He Shuo somewhat bewildered.

After a pause, he asked:

“ So you truly know where the problem lies.”

“ But identifying the problem is only the first step; what will you do next?”

“ A power vacuum will not simply vanish; if the Mechanical Church continues to neglect the peripheral cities, such tragedies will only multiply.”

“ The beast tide looms; will you still not act?”

“ Of course not.”

Zhang Tao hastily denied.

He took a document from the bishop beside him and placed it before He Shuo.

“ This is the adjustment plan we intend to implement thereafter.”

“ It is too late to stabilize the situation gently or to strengthen the Mechanical Church’s organization.”

“ I intend, across all territories under the Church’s control, to enlist the City Defense Department’s power and declare every city in emergency status.”

“ The Chaplain’s army will be granted full authority and bear full responsibility.”

“ Only then can we respond with the swiftest speed to any unforeseen crisis.”

When Zhang Tao finished speaking, He Shuo furrowed his brow.

“ You mean you will completely strip the Holy Blood Hall and the local city defense of their authority?”

“ I have no choice but to do so.”

Zhang Tao’s voice lowered; after a pause he said:

“ Believe me, this is not a power grab.”

“ In fact, the Holy Blood Hall has already largely detached from each city’s power core.”

“ Assuming its authority now is merely assuming the responsibility they abandoned.”

“ Only by removing all external accountability can I truly unite the Chaplain’s army and the bishops.”

“ Then my system of rewards and punishments can be carried out smoothly and precisely.”

“ Very persuasive.”

He Shuo nodded slowly.

“I agree with your proposal.”

“Very well.”

Zhang Tao let out a long sigh, then said:

“In truth, I am worried that on this matter, unnecessary misunderstandings may arise between us.”

“After all, to be frank, there exists a temporarily irreconcilable conflict of positions between us.”

“We worship the Holy Trinity, governing the world by our doctrine, while you do not believe in a deity.”

“Such a contradiction will naturally cause us to view certain matters through different lenses.”

“Fortunately, we still share a common goal.”

“That is, to ensure the continuation of humanity.”

“Based on this shared goal, all our differences can be set aside, can they not?”

“Indeed.”

He Shuo rose to his feet and said:

“If that is so, our discussion today may come to an end.”

“Proceed with your plan.”

“Whatever you do, remember that we do not wish to see the tragedy of Liangxi City repeat itself.”

“Understood.”

Zhang Tao also rose, and before He Shuo turned, he spoke with a hint of urgency:

“There is another matter.”

“Jinling New City may become the focal point of the beast tide’s assault, and the defensive pressure there will be immense.”

“I wonder whether you require assistance.”

“Beyond Jinzhong’s forces, we can dispatch a fresh contingent to Jinling New City, to slightly ease the defensive burden on the Huaxia army.”

“It may be a drop in the ocean, but we can still do our part.”

“Then let it be.”

He Shuo gave a brief reply, then turned and left.

Behind him, Zhang Tao bowed in respect; He Shuo, accompanied by Zeng Yi, walked outward without looking back.

Only after they had left the sanctuary’s bounds did he speak in a low voice:

“We may have to abandon Jinling City.”

“This Zhang Tao… I do not know what his true intentions are, but I can feel that he already harbors thoughts adverse to us.”

“Commander, do you think he plans to plant an informant within Base 011?”

Zeng Yi frowned and asked.

“Not necessarily.”

He Shuo shook his head slowly.

“He is unlikely to employ such crude methods; perhaps the support he sends is merely support.”

“Yet he has indeed made me sense a threat.”

“But that serves them no good.”

Zeng Yi asked, puzzled:

“They need us to combat the beast tide; if we are gone, who will stand against its onslaught for them?”

“Fuxi.”

He Shuo replied.

“The crux lies with Fuxi.”

“For the Mechanical Cult, the Machine Soul is the object of their perpetual pursuit.”

“And the Machine Soul is bound to electricity; Zhang Tao happens to be a ‘saint’ who esteems electricity.”

“It is very possible they have already obtained intelligence concerning Fuxi, perhaps even gleaned relevant knowledge from their extensive records.”

“What if he believes our strength stems solely from Fuxi?”

“Then he would have full cause to covet the Machine Soul we command.”

At this, He Shuo exhaled a long breath.

“Regardless, we must issue a warning to the base.”

“Once we have their consent, we shall withdraw swiftly.”

“Return to Base 011?”

Zeng Yi asked.

He Shuo shook his head.

“No.”

“We must keep our forces dispersed, lest we be caught in a single net.”

“We will not return to 011; we shall establish a second stronghold.”

“To the Han River!”

(End of Chapter)